OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The arrival of Kendrick Perkins was expected to give the Oklahoma City Thunder the kind of inside muscle they needed to stand their ground with some of the NBA’s beefiest big men.
In the opener of their Western Conference semifinal series with Memphis, it was the Grizzlies who did the bruising.
Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combined for 54 points and 23 rebounds in leading eighth-seeded Memphis to a road victory in Game 1 for the second straight series. The Grizzlies got 52 points in the paint, more than any team but the Los Angeles Lakers have scored against Oklahoma City with Perkins in the lineup.
The Thunder are looking for answers heading into Game 2 on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.
